By Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Maxwell Book
BBC-Guardian UK - Honduras - ESPN NY Mag
SDNY COURTHOUSE, June 17 – Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy was convicted for his role in selling weapons to men he believed to be part of Colombia's FARC.
On May 31, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Jed S. Rakoff held an oral argument on his motion for a reduced sentence. Inner City Press covered it.
The arms deals date back to 2006 in Lebanon and 2007 in Spain, where Moreno was in on a key dinner. The weapons were to have been shipped to Suriname.
Moreno's lawyer portrayed him as a long time employee of lead defendant Monzer Al Kassar and said if Moreno is released now he will simply retire, not sell arms.
Al Kassar remains in jail; Moreno is 73 and has COPD.
On June 17, Judge Rakoff denied the application: "MEMORANDUM ORDER as to Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy. The Court finds that reducing Felipe Moreno's sentence would be inconsistent with the factors set forth in section 3553(a). Since this is fatal to the instant motion, the Court need not consider the other compassionate release factors. Felipe Moreno's motion for compassionate release is therefore denied (Signed by Judge Jed S. Rakoff on 6/17/22)."
The overall case is US v. Al Kassar, 07-cr-354 (Rakoff)
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